Counting Down the 2012 Knits

Just because I was curious, I looked over on my Ravelry page to county the number of knitted projects I finished in 2012.  Drum roll, please....there were 27 garments.

Wowser Dowser, that was a heck of a lot of knitting in the past year.

Last project finished thus far were for a friend with arthritis, an avid gardener who supplied us with squash and tomatoes all summer.  We really enjoyed his produce.  Here is one of Mr. Gardener's ... actually Mr. Woods'...wristers:

Then the husband said his old ones were not as sturdy as the ones he was modeling, so he wanted a pair like Mr. Woods was given.  But he wanted a pair with the thumbs knitted for extra warmth, so I modified this pattern and should be through with another pair shortly.

Other modifications on the pattern: sport weight yarn was held double to achieve a more sturdy fabric.  The yard used was 90% alpaca from Lonesome Stone Fiber Mill in Granby, Colorado.  They have 70 alpacas they rear and shear and process wool for their family owned business.  This is a picture of their mill:

Lonesome Stone alpaca fibers can be accessed here if you want to purchase yarn directly from their mill.

And these are the wristers for the Mister, half way completed:

fofridays

Fiber Arts Friday

Participating in Finished Objects Friday and Fiber Arts Friday.  Look at others' projects by clicking on the highlighted links.
Update 12/29/12, a pair of wristers for the husband, with an attached thumb:

There is Nothing I Can Give You Which You Have Not

I salute you and there is nothing I can give which you have not, but there is much while I cannot give it, you may take it. No heaven can come to us unless we find it in our hearts today. So take heaven. No joy can come to us, unless it comes to us in this present moment. Take joy. No peace can come to us, unless we find it right now. Take peace. (Father Giovanni, 1513)

Franz Cižek (Austrian artist, 1865-1946) Santa with Toys 1910-20 

Merry Christmas!

Have a Defiant Christmas

Attributed to and contributed by John Shea, writer, storyteller and Catholic theologian, written in 2000:

Some Christmas I am going to send out a Christmas card that will look like this. On the cover there will be three images. The first image will be a star brightly shining but it will be surrounded by darkness. The second image will be an evergreen but it will be surrounded by trees without leaves. The third image will be the traditional one, it will be a child wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger, but the child will be surrounded by a ramshackle stable. When you open the card, inside there will be in very bold print, "Have a Defiant Christmas!"

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The first image will be a star brightly shining but it will be surrounded by darkness. 

The second image will be an evergreen but it will be surrounded by trees without leaves.

The third image will be the traditional one, it will be a child wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger, but the child will be surrounded by a ramshackle stable. 

When you open the card, inside there will be in very bold print, "Have a Defiant Christmas!"

Shea goes on to say that there is defiance in the light and darkness cannot overcome it.  About the lone tree with greenery when all other trees have no branches, he says the evergreens defy defoliage and give us a sense of life.  The baby in a ramshackle manger? Well, that is imagery for a child who was sheltered and given hospitality in a land and time when there was great rejection.

Shea's entire article can be accessed here where he talks more in depth about the imagery.

A defiant Christmas?  It's something to ponder.  Read others' Pauses in Advent here for more meditations during this Christmas season.  I'll be having a Defiant Christmas and hope you do as well.